{"id":406518,"date":"2026-01-11T16:07:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T16:07:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/406518\/"},"modified":"2026-01-11T16:07:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T16:07:17","slug":"new-zealand-news-ugochukwu-wins-crash-affected-hampton-downs-finale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/406518\/","title":{"rendered":"New Zealand news: Ugochukwu wins crash-affected Hampton Downs finale"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Ugochukwu
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUgo Ugochukwu clean swept Sunday’s CTFROT action at Hampton Downs. Image: John Cowpland<\/p>\n

The American was unstoppable in 23-lap feature race, the Dorothy Smith Memorial Cup, with an unchallenged lights-to-flag win.<\/p>\n

The only interruption to his dominance was an early red flag for a wild opening-lap crash that took the likes of Kalle Rovanpera and Ryan Wood out of contention<\/a>.<\/p>\n

From the restart onwards it was all about Ugochukwu, who held a steady lead over Jin Nakamura across the distance to secure victory.<\/p>\n

It was Ugochukwu second win of the day, following an impressive drive from fourth on the grid in the first of the two Sunday encounters.<\/p>\n

That has left him with an 18-point lead after the first of four rounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a great weekend overall,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat race was really tricky, conditions were really hot so I had to look after the tyres. Jin was really quick the whole race, he did a good race. I had to keep pushing the whole way and super happy to come home with the win.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Kanato Le made it two Japanese drivers on the podium for the finale with a distant third place behind Ugochukwu and Nakamura.<\/p>\n

The Hitech driver did come up under some early pressure from Louis Sharp, only for the Kiwi to lose ground as the race wore on.<\/p>\n

Sharp ended up falling back into the clutches of Freddie Slater, the pair staging an epic late-race battle over fourth place.<\/p>\n

Slater\u2019s pressure eventually got to Sharp, who ran wide into Turn 1 on Lap 19 and allowed the Briton to get a run and grab fourth into Turn 2.<\/p>\n

Zack Scoular came home sixth ahead of Nolan Allaer, Ernesto Rivera and Yuanpu Cui.<\/p>\n

Aussie James Wharton rounded out the top 10.<\/p>\n

CTFROT continues at Taupo next weekend.<\/p>\n

Results: Formula Regional Oceania Trophy Hampton Downs, Race 3<\/p>\n

Pos
\nCountry
\nName
\nNo.
\nLaps
\nDiff
\nBest Time<\/p>\n

1
\nUSA
\nUgo Ugochukwu
\n4
\n18<\/p>\n

01:30.341<\/p>\n

2
\nJPN
\nKanato Le
\n19
\n18
\n00:01.122
\n01:30.366<\/p>\n

3
\nMEX
\nErnesto Rivera
\n24
\n18
\n00:02.051
\n01:30.461<\/p>\n

4
\nJPN
\nJin Nakamura
\n12
\n18
\n00:02.656
\n01:30.425<\/p>\n

5
\nAUS
\nJames Wharton
\n13
\n18
\n00:03.684
\n01:30.665<\/p>\n

6
\nNZL
\nSebastian Manson
\n22
\n18
\n00:05.351
\n01:30.864<\/p>\n

7
\nLKA
\nYevan David
\n21
\n18
\n00:06.720
\n01:30.758<\/p>\n

8
\nCHN
\nYuanpu Cui
\n5
\n18
\n00:07.792
\n01:30.893<\/p>\n

9
\nGBR
\nFreddie Slater
\n27
\n18
\n00:08.274
\n01:30.499<\/p>\n

10
\nUSA
\nNolan Allaer
\n52
\n18
\n00:08.499
\n01:30.936<\/p>\n

11
\nNZL
\nLouis Sharp
\n11
\n18
\n00:09.113
\n01:30.577<\/p>\n

12
\nIRL
\nFionn McLaughlin
\n33
\n18
\n00:09.115
\n01:30.856<\/p>\n

13
\nFIN
\nKalle Rovanpera
\n69
\n18
\n00:09.547
\n01:30.686<\/p>\n

14
\nAUS
\nJack Taylor
\n50
\n18
\n00:10.318
\n01:30.584<\/p>\n

15
\nUSA
\nCooper Shipman
\n14
\n18
\n00:10.616
\n01:31.179<\/p>\n

16
\nBRA
\nRicardo Baptista
\n41
\n18
\n00:11.268
\n01:31.498<\/p>\n

17
\nNZL
\nZack Scoular
\n3
\n18
\n00:12.474
\n01:30.332<\/p>\n

18
\nNZL
\nRyan Wood
\n40
\n18
\n00:14.786
\n01:30.471<\/p>\n

DNF
\nUSA
\nTrevor LaTourrette
\n8
\n11
\nDNF
\n01:31.995<\/p>\n

Results: Formula Regional Oceania Trophy Hampton Downs, Race 4<\/p>\n

Pos
\nCountry
\nName
\nNo.
\nLaps
\nDiff
\nBest Time<\/p>\n

1
\nUSA
\nUgo Ugochukwu
\n4
\n23<\/p>\n

01:29.980<\/p>\n

2
\nJPN
\nJin Nakamura
\n12
\n23
\n00:01.254
\n01:29.843<\/p>\n

3
\nJPN
\nKanato Le
\n19
\n23
\n00:06.196
\n01:30.405<\/p>\n

4
\nGBR
\nFreddie Slater
\n27
\n23
\n00:08.951
\n01:29.994<\/p>\n

5
\nNZL
\nLouis Sharp
\n11
\n23
\n00:12.706
\n01:30.433<\/p>\n

6
\nNZL
\nZack Scoular
\n3
\n23
\n00:13.306
\n01:30.252<\/p>\n

7
\nUSA
\nNolan Allaer
\n52
\n23
\n00:13.993
\n01:30.167<\/p>\n

8
\nMEX
\nErnesto Rivera
\n24
\n23
\n00:17.677
\n01:30.492<\/p>\n

9
\nCHN
\nYuanpu Cui
\n5
\n23
\n00:18.506
\n01:30.590<\/p>\n

10
\nAUS
\nJames Wharton
\n13
\n23
\n00:19.125
\n01:30.511<\/p>\n

11
\nIRL
\nFionn McLaughlin
\n33
\n23
\n00:20.308
\n01:30.403<\/p>\n

12
\nUSA
\nCooper Shipman
\n14
\n23
\n00:21.872
\n01:30.488<\/p>\n

13
\nBRA
\nRicardo Baptista
\n41
\n23
\n00:32.734
\n01:31.168<\/p>\n

14
\nUSA
\nTrevor LaTourrette
\n8
\n23
\n01:01.434
\n01:31.949<\/p>\n

DNF
\nNZL
\nSebastian Manson
\n22<\/p>\n

DNF<\/p>\n

DNF
\nFIN
\nKalle Rovanpera
\n69<\/p>\n

DNF<\/p>\n

DNF
\nNZL
\nRyan Wood
\n40<\/p>\n

DNF<\/p>\n

DNF
\nLKA
\nYevan David
\n21<\/p>\n

DNF<\/p>\n

DNS
\nAUS
\nJack Taylor
\n50<\/p>\n

DNS<\/p>\n


\"\"\/
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